I BOUGHT A SYSTEM FROM THEM ALSO, AND THEY WILL NOT CALL ME BACK EITHER! IT IS STARTING TO MAKE ME MAD! ALL I WANT THEM TO DO IS CHANGE THE SHIPPING ADDRESS. THEY DID EMAIL ME ONE TIME AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD SHIP IT IN TWO WEEKS. WELL IN TWO WEEKS THERE WILL NOT BE ANYONE THERE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING IT SHIPPED TO THE TIGE DEALER THAT WAS GONNA PUT IT IN FOR ME, BUT THEY ARE GOING OUT OF BUISNES NEXT WEEK. IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM THEN LET ME KNOW PLEASE I DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER 1550.00 TO PUT OUT ON ANOTHER SYSTEM. THANKS MIKE G

Just to update everyone on my old post about not getting my system. I still have not received it, and they will not contact me. One night I called them at 1 a.m. becuase I thought it would be funny to leave a message then (don't ask about my sense of humor), they picked up the phone on the first ring. It was not tonie the owner, but just some ass clown over there hanging out. They told me that they would make sure she called me tomorrow. Needless to say I have not been contacted by them yet. So, to see if they are just avoiding me, I had my buddy send them an e-mail requesting pricing for a different make of boat in a different state. They got back to him immediately. This company promises the world, and provides nothing!!! STAY AWAY!!!!!!! They will not ship your system!!!!!! I can't believe that there is not a company that makes a good ballast system in such a large and high priced industry. Anyway, I guess everyone who has ordered a system recently is just screwed. -Steve Caudill

At this point, I have not had to pay for a system (because I disputed the charge), and I don't have a system. If I get the authorities involved, I still will not have a system, and I still won't have a system. It seems like a waste of my time, but you are right, those a-clowns should pay for their crimes!!! -Steve Caudill

At this point, I have not had to pay for a system (because I disputed the charge), and I don't have a system. If I get the authorities involved, I still will not have a system, and I still won't have paid for a system. It seems like a waste of my time, but you are right, those a-clowns should pay for their crimes!!! -Steve Caudill

I GOT A GOOD QUESTION! DONT THEY PUT SYSTEMS IN FOR MOOMBA AND SUPRA? I HAVE SEEN THEM IN THERE NEW BOATS. SO WE NEED TO CONTACT A MOOMBA DEALER AND FIND OUT HOW THEY CONTACT THEM. I THINK THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF CONTRACT WITH THEN. I HAD SOME GUY ANSWER THE PHONE AT 4PM AND WHENI STARTED IN ABOUT MY SYSTEM HE SAID HE WAS THE CLEANING GUY! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT STUFF. I ORDERED MY SYSTEM FROM TONY I DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY. I JUST WANT MY SYSTEM!!!!!! ALL THE NEW MOOMBA AND SUPRAS HAVE EITHER BIG BERTHA OR JUST HIPPO SYSTEMS IN THEN SO I KNOW THEY ARE NOT OUT OF BUSINESS! SOME ONE THAT LIVES IN ARIZONA NEEDS TO DRIVE BY AND NOCK ON THE DOOR! I WILL PAY!

Good question michael. I did some checking on some old posts and it appears that moomba and supra have dropped their deal with hippo and are now making their own systems in house. The posts said that it was because of crap like we are dealing with. I am not too far from there (about four hours) and I'm supposed to go to phoneix on business in about a month, so I'm tempted to show up on their doorstep with a baseball bat, but I'm king of scared that these people are crack heads or something. If I do, I'll take a whack for you.

THANKS A FRIEND TOLD ME THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR WAS HARD TO GET THINGS FROM PEOPLE LIKE THIS B/C OF THE SURF EXPO AND ALL THE BOAT SHOWS. THEY ARE A SMALL COMP AND THEY MAY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN THEY CAN CHEW. I WOULD JUST FEEL GOOD IF THEY WOULD CALL ME AND LET ME KNOW THEY CHANGED MY SHIPPING ADDRESS AS IT SITS NOW THEY ARE NOT LATE YET ON SHIPPING MY SYSTEM THEY STILL HAVE A WEEK TO GO.

as for hippo, it's a partnership, and one of the partners is trying to ruin the business. the other one is suck in the middle of it right now, and can't do anything until the other partner is delt with.

I ordered a ballast as well and I haven't heard anything back from them. To top it off, I've even been a reference for Toni and Hippo in the past and they won't call me back. I reported a fraudulent transaction to my credit card company.

So everyone the story continues. I guess the owner of this infamous company (toni) has quite a criminal record for fraudelent whatnot and drug paraphanalia. Somone was nice enough to send it to me, and while it is probably not my duty to pass it on to you guys, I think it's funny none the less. Heres the directions:

Go to www.superiorcourt.maricopa.govselect: case info then: criminal history then: case history Search for: Toni/Hagen She is both Toni Hagen and Toni Estenson

While I realize that no one is perfect, I can't imagine that anyone having this information about their "track record" would care to do business with them. You should all check this out before considering ordering a system from them.

hey everyone..... I've been sitting tight on this subject for quite some time. Finally had to say something seeing how "good people" are getting suckered into this sham, as well as seeing that Toni is a "tweeker" with a record an arm length's long!!!!!

I have a Hippo system in my Malibu..... PAINFULL!!!! is all I can say. Here's the short story....... I ordered my system Jan/Feb this year $1200-$1300 and told them I wanted them to install it cause I had plans on being in Arizona in April. We agreed.. they said $400 for the installation. At the time, I thought cool... I'm set!!! good plan!!!! Between Feb & April... I didn't hear a word from them. I couldn't get hold of them just like all you guys are saying now. At one point their website even went down for a week and I was hearing they had gone out of business and their shop was all boarded up. I was stressing big time (they had $1200). THEN... out of the blue I got hold of them, only a couple of weeks before I was going to AZ. They said they were ready and their address had changed.

Well.. after some difficulty. I finally found the place. Its in a run down housing area. Looks like a converted house, with a makeshift office in front and a large garage bay in back. No Hippo signs, noone was there.... only way I new I had the right place was looking in her mailbox!!!! We did finally hookup and she pulled out some of the bags. Of course I gave her all the benefit of the doubt and thought... its tough starting up a business, give her a break. Well let me tell you this chick sleeps in the back of the garage... I gave them my boat on a Monday they said it would be done by Wednesday. After 2 days of "it will be ready tomorrow" I go to pick up my boat on Friday. Only to find out ITS NOT DONE!!!! My engine box was sitting on her BED!!!! along with bits and pieces of my boat were all over the place. WTF!!!! 2000 Malibu! I was freaking out! Long story short I spent a good 6 hours with her finishing the system and putting my boat back together!!!! Oh, and she couldn't take the boat out with me to test it out as she had promised... I stiffed her and only gave her half ($200) for the install! Of course I was super nice the whole time cause I wanted my boat back in one piece and the system installed. My girlfriend who was with me the hole time wanted tooo.... (I'll be nice)

Well, later I find the system was slower that crap. Leaked at the intake hole they drilled and my front ski locker bag leaked at the seam. It took me about 3 months to dial the system in. I resealed the leak, replaced the 1100 GPH pump to a 2000 GPH pump and basically rerouted and stowed the entire plumbing and electrical. I still have the leaking bag... Toni promised me a new one. It still hasn't shown up!!!!

There address is......1853 N 40th St. (SE corner of Palm & 40th). I'm waiting for the day I end up back in AZ to barrel down her door!!!

Oh, and another bit of info... Malibu AZ used to install Hippo. Dustin knows her and basically at one point Malibu AZ ended up on a pay upon receipt agreement. But then dropped them completely. Malibu installs Fluid concepts bags now!!!!

I truely believe at this point reading this thread that if I didn't end up at Hippo... I'd still be waiting for my system. Oh, and CUSTOM BAGS... bunch of BULL.

Just to let you know, I also ordered a system in Aug, after calling and sending fax upon fax I cancelled my purchase with my credit card. On Fri Dec 13 (Friday the 13) Toni called my and said my system was ready. I told her that I cancelled my purchase in Oct and she started to tell me that she was going to sue me. I told her off and informed my credit card company who is currently investigating her. I'll keep everyone posted on what they do to her.

Hey Erik.... good for you!!!! Its very obvious that once Toni's gets your money communication stops. She only seems to be talking to people interested in buying. My take on your situation is she just found out about you canceling your purchase with the credit card hence calling you to tell you your system was ready. Whether it really was or not... who knows???. She may actually be stuck with the bags she purchased for your system. She doesn't actually manufacture anything but the wire bundles, she just markets everything together as a system.

Hey guys... just out of curiousity... doesn't this seem a lot like money laundrying. I mean, we're dealing with a crack head, has a business that doesn't deliver. Boarded up shope. Hmmm... sounds like some one is running a drug operation and needs a way to laundry the money. Just a thought.

I just went through the "Hippo Experience" myself. Thanks to the info on here I called me credit card company had got the amount of purchased credited back to my card. Hopefully hippo will fade away and nobody else has to go through what we have.

Dang, After all that, there are a lot of people on this board that could help design the ultimate auto ballast. I have tested out a lot of pumps(all kinds), valves(many), plumbing/wiring bag/tankconfigurations etc. myself, and so many other people here (Joe, Marty, Trace, James Mcdermott, etc.(many others!) ) have also figured out parts of the system, different methods, etc. We could pool the best parts and ideas and make our own system... Of course, nobody wants the same thing, but pumps and hoses and valves are the same. We could find a source to make custom bags, if we do it as a group. I have worked on my system for 2 years, I have one button fill/empty. I have no priming problems, fill or drain. I have positive closure of the fill inlet (solenoid valve) under run conditions, from the dash. I do not have adjustability from side to side, I have a D Drive and use the fat seat. I put one more sack in the walkway, and life is good. I have hoses that I can tuck away for all sacks, no extra holes. I also did not drill any holes for fill or drain. My system is somewhat slow, more/bigger holes and drain pumps would cure that problem. As far as electronics go, I am a designer and you can pretty much go nuts in that area. Fill levels are difficult with sacks, and as we all know, it is important that there are unrestricted drain valves on every sack. Anyway, so much for Hippo, what're y'all goin' to do?

I also am building a system for my boat tige 20v. i am building the tanks out of alum (no more sacs) no more priming problems it should be about a thousand pounds. i need to find some fittings to drill through the hull. the thing the sux is that i did not get my money back from hippo.